Brewers sign veteran INF Blanco to Minors deal
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MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers signed veteran infielder Andres Blanco to a Minor League contract on Friday and extended him a non-roster invitation to Major League Spring Training camp along with 10 other players from Milwaukee’s own system.
The prospects invited to big league camp included 2019 first-round Draft pick Ethan Small, a left-hander picked 28th overall out of Mississippi State. He ranks fifth on MLB Pipeline’s list of Milwaukee’s top prospects.
The other invitees were pitchers Clayton Andrews (No. 30 Brewers prospect), Zack Brown (No. 3), Thomas Jankins, Drew Rasmussen (No. 12), Miguel Sanchez and Aaron Wilkerson; catchers Mario Feliciano (No. 8) and Payton Henry (No. 15); and third baseman Lucas Erceg (No. 14).
They bring to 20 the total of non-roster invitees to camp, which opens Feb. 12 when Brewers pitchers and catchers formally report to American Family Fields of Phoenix.
The latest outside addition is Blanco, a veteran of parts of 10 Major League seasons who last played in the big leagues in 2017. He played for the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2018. Last season, Blanco posted an .807 OPS for the Braves’ top affiliate at Triple-A Gwinnett, and he re-joins the Brewers in the wake of news that infielder Luis Urías will miss eight weeks following surgery for a broken hamate bone in his left hand.